Pilgrims accuse Saudi religious police,demand trial

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) A group of British and US Shi'ite Muslims said on Friday the Saudi religious police they accuse of beating them in the holy city of Mecca should be put on trial abroad.

The eight male pilgrims, all of Iraqi descent, said they were beaten and detained overnight on Sunday by Saudi's strict Sunni Muslim Muta'awa because of their nationalities and the fact they were holding Shi'ite-style prayers.

Officials at the Saudi embassy were not immediately available for comment and Saudi authorities have not commented on the case.

Tension is high in the region because of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims in Iraq. Saudia Arabia, which practises a strict form of Sunni Islam, is uncomfortable with the rise of a Shi'ite majority to power in Iraq.

Iraq's defeat of Saudi Arabia in the final of the Asian Cup soccer competition has also provoked some anti-Shi'ite comments in Islamic Internet chatrooms.

At a news conference in London, the group of Shi'ite pilgrims called on the religious police to apologise and pay compensation.

They said those responsible should be handed over and tried for violating human rights.

''While in police custody we were handcuffed and savagely beaten with chairs, bats, sticks, shoes and police radio communication devices,'' 24-year-old pilgrim Amir Taki said.

He said they were refused food, water, medicine and access to toilets. One was told they would be ''killed and thrown to the dogs''.

The group, aged between 16 to 26, said they were not allowed to contact their embassies or relatives.

However, using a cell phone hidden by one of the pilgrims, they were able to contact family members and were released after intervention from the embassies.

A spokesman for the pilgrims said they would support a trial at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Some clerics in Saudi Arabia, which sees itself as the leader of Sunni Islam, view Shi'ism as a heresy. Religious police, who are often armed with sticks, are charged with ensuring Sunni rites and beliefs dominate in the kingdom.

REUTERS AE RN2130

For Daily Alerts
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
X